Recent content by sendai

Mine generally improve a lot over the first 2-3 months in the bottle, then they continue to get better very slowly for at least a couple months after that. Of course they are drinkable much earlier, but a little aging is usually worth the wait.

Just in case: Did you use a hydrometer or a refractomer to measure the FG? If that latter, you can't just use the raw reading once there is alcohol present. It needs to be converted using a calculator like this one: http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/ If you used...

Is this the Northern Brewer kit? What yeast did you use?

Try putting your refractometer readings in the calculator below: http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/ I bet you'll find it's really at about 1.010.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, Mosaic hops added at 15 minutes give a different flavor than when added at 5 minutes or FO. The late additions emphasize the fruity flavors and the earlier additions emphasize the herbal/spicy flavors. I made a beer with all late hope additions...

Thanks! Somehow I missed that. :drunk:

I'm confused: why is everyone talking about lagers? Safbrew S-33 is an ale yeast as far as I know.

I'm confused: why do you think that wouldn't shift that balance? Bosh's suggestion seems right on to me.

The recipe look good. I may have to try this one, too. deere322, how do you get such ferocious attenuation with Nottingham?

I try to carb as appropriate for the style. That one was a British Bitter, so I carbed at 1.8 vols. It was actually too much: the flavor of the carbonation competed too much with the malt. I'd go lower next time. For American styles I tend to carbonate at between 2.4 and 2.8 vols.

Thanks. That was helpful. Honest question: Why is it okay to use flaked grains but carapils is a "waste" and a "lazy fix"?

Understood, but I'm looking for specific suggestions. What recipe and mash protocol changes do you suggest to improve body and head retention? Here's a concrete example if that helps you: 6lb maris otter 0.5lb carastan single infusion mash at 156* 1oz uk goldings @60 1oz uk goldings...

What do I need to do to brew properly to get the same effect as carapils?

What was the FG reading in degrees Brix? Apologies if you are already aware of this: Using a refractometer is fine, but once fermentation has started you can't just do a simple multiplication to get the specific gravity reading. Instead, you need to use a calculator that takes into account...

I thought Wyeast 1056 / WL 001 / US-05 had a reputation for great attenuation. I've gotten 80% on extract brews, and my latest beer (all malt) was around 85% (mash temp 149*). I don't do anything special. A quick google search confirms that many people get 80%+ attenuation with 1056.